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Notes: Final roster spot undecided

Notes: Final roster spot undecided

PHILADELPHIA -- On Sunday, the Phillies' roster stood at 24 players, with one undecided spot.

The team expects to rectify that and announce its 25-player assortment by Monday.

"There are some possibilities," assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "It's not necessarily likely that we have a trade to acquire somebody, but we'd like to leave our options open."

Without a deal, the possibilities include a waiver claim or promoting an in-house candidate. Chris Coste, who was placed on the disabled list on Sunday with a strained right hamstring, isn't an option. Ron Calloway is a possibility, though unlikely.

The final roster spot will likely go to a pitcher. Right-hander Joe Bisenius fared well this spring, and was told to stay in Philadelphia overnight. Despite not playing above Double-A, the righty might have made the team, if another move isn't made.

"I didn't know if I'd last this long," said Bisenius, who allowed six hits and six walks in 12 innings, with 11 strikeouts. "I thought I might be out of here by the first or second cuts. But I feel like I became more comfortable. I've enjoyed every day here."

Sunday brought fantastic news for Zack Segovia, Michael Bourn, Clay Condrey and Greg Dobbs, who were listed among the players who made the team. While Bourn, Condrey and Dobbs have been in the big leagues before, being on an Opening Day roster represents something else.

"I'm going to run up those [cell phone] minutes pretty good," Bourn said. "Hopefully, I'll be here a while. I don't think it's hit me yet. Everybody's said congratulations, but I think [Monday] will be when it hits me. You see the Opening Day parade, and realize, 'This is why they call it The Show.'"

Switching to lower digits symbolizes Segovia's three-year recovery from Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery, and rewards a Spring Training performance that included two solid starts against the Yankees.

With Freddy Garcia on the disabled list, Segovia will likely make his Major League debut next Sunday against the Marlins, three days before his 24th birthday.

The right-hander pitched Saturday against Tampa Bay, then flew to Philadelphia to receive the news of which every kid dreams. Called into manager Charlie Manuel's office, he found general manager Pat Gillick, Manuel, pitching coach Rich Dubee and Amaro waiting.

"You walk in and you already have a bad feeling," Segovia said. "There's not a lot of good news that comes out of there. I guess there was today."

Quiet at first, Dubee asked about Segovia walking Hee-Seop Choi twice. The rookie explained that he was working on his changeup and kept missing low. Knowing he needs the pitch against lefties, he stayed with it.

"I thought [the walks] were going to be a nail in my coffin," said Segovia, who was then given the good news. "They said, 'Are we going to be able to trust him with that brain?' Then they told me I made the team."

Segovia's parents and his in-laws, including father-in-law Darnell Coles, a former Major Leaguer, are expected to see Segovia line up on Monday for the first time as a big leaguer, then attend his start against the Marlins. How long the kid, who has never pitched above Double-A, remains with the Phillies doesn't matter now.

"I'm here today, and I'm going to be here [Monday]," he said. "That's the most important day. I'm going to be here hopefully for a while."

The names: The 24 players on the Phillies' Opening Day roster, minus No. 25:

Rehabbing: Right-handers Garcia and Jon Lieber will participate in Monday's Opening Day festivities, then resume
preparations to rejoin the Phillies.

Garcia (strained right biceps muscle) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Monday, before his teammates open the season against the Braves. He'll then return to Clearwater, Fla., and make two rehabilitation starts, on Thursday and then on April 10. He'll progress from 45 pitches to 65 pitches, and could start for the Phillies on or around April 15.

Lieber (strained right oblique) is scheduled to pitch on Wednesday in an extended Spring Training start. Both Lieber and Garcia are eligible to come off the disabled list on Saturday.

"We'll have to make a determination after that," Dubee said.

Garcia said he's feeling "really good" compared to how he felt March 21, when he left his start against the Blue Jays after one inning. He's reached 200 innings in seven of his eight big-league seasons, and hopes to make it eight or nine.

While he's OK with Philadelphia's decision to bring him along in this fashion, Garcia said things would be different if this were late September.

"I'd be pitching," he said, smiling. "This is good for me and good for everybody that it happened now. I'll be ready."

Coste caught five innings Saturday in Clearwater. He fared well, but not well enough.

"He did fine, but he's not running 100 percent," Amaro said. "We don't want to put Charlie [Manuel] in a position where he's limited."

Up next: The Phillies' season begins Monday with visions of a division title as they host the Braves at Citizens Bank Park at 1:05 p.m. ET. Myers will make his first Opening Day start, opposing veteran John Smoltz, who is 0-3 with a 7.71 ERA in his previous three season-opening starts. Myers went 1-1 against the Braves in 2006, with a 3.55 ERA.

Ken Mandel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.